Spinosaurus was a dino-penguin!?

[PaleoMatt]

I was looking at spinosaurus the other day and realised it could have a very similar niche to penguins but hunted much much larger creatures! Maybe it was a biped in a therizinosaur like sance which would crawl around on all fours at times.

[Patrx]

I do not understand the title of this thread, a penguin is a dinosaur.

There has been some interesting "post-Ibrahim" speculation regarding bipedal posture in Spinosaurus. Andrea Cau did some writing on the matter, incorporating a very vertical neck posture proposed by Dale Russell in 1996 along with some sauropod research by Donald Henderson. The resulting image does look somewhat penguinesque, though Cau himself compares it to a pelican.

[Gwangi]

That's an interesting posture for Spinosaurus, kind of a throwback actually.

And yes, similar to a penguin.

[PaleoMatt]

I do not understand the title of this thread, a penguin is a dinosaur.

Yes, that is true The Rockhopper Penguin is my favourite dinosaur.

[CityRaptor]

Spinosaurus is also similar to the Kaiju Titanosaurus.

Semi-aquatic? Check!
Long snout? Check!
Sail on back? Check!
Tripod? Maybe...

[Kayakasaurus]

Calling a penguin a dinosaur only takes away from the meaning of "dinosaurs" and "birds".

[Patrx]

The Rockhopper Penguin is my favourite dinosaur.

Good choice! Aesthetically, I also think penguin colors and patterns tend to work well in spinosaurid reconstructions.

[Halichoeres]

That's an interesting posture for Spinosaurus, kind of a throwback actually.

And yes, similar to a penguin.

That's so cool. Is that one of Katrina van Grouw's drawings?

[Silvanusaurus]

I've never really thought much before about how weird the outward appearance of a penguin is. For example; if they were long extinct, I can't imagine anyone would think, based on the skeleton alone, to restore an emperor penguin in what would appear to be a 'humanoid' upright posture, without thinking it looked unrealistic or ridiculous. The true nature of Spinosaurus could be something we would never imagine... but this could be as possible as any other theory I suppose.

Also...

Spinosaurus is also similar to the Kaiju Titanosaurus.

Semi-aquatic? Check!
Long snout? Check!
Sail on back? Check!
Tripod? Maybe...

Mind = Blown.

[Megalosaurus]

I've just googled and found this:

Aquatic Spinosaurus Bird - penguin.
The hump  on it's back stored fat, like a camel, for the times when food was scarce.  It also gave the males plenty of food when the mothers left to fish while the fathers watched the eggs, like modern day emperor penguins.

This remember me of "All yesterdays" and "All your yesterdays".

[Gwangi]

That's so cool. Is that one of Katrina van Grouw's drawings?

Yes, from "The Unfeathered Bird" which I shamefully still don't own.

[Takama]

Spinosaurus is also similar to the Kaiju Titanosaurus.

Semi-aquatic? Check!
Long snout? Check!
Sail on back? Check!
Tripod? Maybe...

IF this Kaiju ever makes it in the gritty reboot series, it should be made to look like a Spinosaur and there should be paleontologists in the movie who argue that Titanosaurus is already taken by a sauropod.

That reminds me. What came first. Titanosaurus the Kaiju? or Titanosaurus the Genus?

[stargatedalek]

Fairly certain the Kaiju came first, but don't quote me.

[Gwangi]

I'm fairly certain the dinosaur had the name first.

[Halichoeres]

Yup. Titanosaurus the genus is Lydekker 1877, but according to Wikipedia the first appearance of the kaiju is Terror of Mechagodzilla in 1975.

[PaleoMatt]

Isn't titanosaurus a nodem dubium?

[Viking Spawn]

Not sure.  But all I know is that he got his butt whooped by Godzilla even with Mechagodzilla's help.  You know, that crazy radioactive Tyrannosaur-Stegosaur hybrid in my avatar.....   

[SBell]

I always find it sad that penguins get all the attention, when a Great Auk would be just as good for a stand in. Especially given the long snout



But really, Spinosaurus looked like Spinosaurus.

[PaleoMatt]

Ah yes the Great Auk But penguins are my favourite animal

[Halichoeres]

That's so cool. Is that one of Katrina van Grouw's drawings?

Yes, from "The Unfeathered Bird" which I shamefully still don't own.

I do own it, but apparently I need to go through it again! Beautiful book.

Isn't titanosaurus a nodem dubium?

Yeah, it is. Bummer, because it's a good name if you ask me.

Auks are the original penguins! The word "penguin" was first used to describe the great auk (its genus name is even Pinguinus). The ones down south were named after it. Too bad it's not around to reclaim its own name.